USPTO Patents Application 09989192

Amendments

In the Claims:

Please cancel claims 21-28 and 30-44 without prejudice or disclaimer. Please add the
claims as set forth below.

Claims 21-28 (Currently Cancelled)

Claim 29. (Currently Amended) A method of treating sludge, comprising the steps:

(a) placing the sludge into a[container, the container comprising a water
impermeable] n ISO container, rail car or other box having a liner and at least one drain for
dewatering ;

(b) closing the container by covering the top of the material with a plastic barrier;

(c) dewatering the material;

(d) vertically inserting injector pipes into the dewatered material;

(e) injecting remedial water into the material via the injector pipes;

(f) closing the container by covering the top of the material with a plastic barrier; and

(g) dewatering the material.

Claims 30-44. (Currently Cancelled)

45. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the container is an ISO container, has a depth of
between 3 feet and 20 feet, the liner comprises a non- woven geotextile bag of thickness between
20 and 120 wgt that is held from the sides of the container by protuberances on the side walls and
the injector pipes extend at least two-third of the depth of the sludge in the container.

46. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the liner is a geomembrane or geosynthetic
material covering the inside of the box.

47. (New) The method of claim 46, wherein the box is selected from the group consisting of
a railcar, hopper car, roll-off container, truck, barge compartment, ISO container, a geotextile
lined earthen cell and cave within the earth.

48. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injector pipes have 100 slot size.

49. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the liner is held off a box wall by round
protrusions.

50. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the pipes are perforated.

5 1 . (New) The method of claim 29, wherein step a is carried out via an enclosed conveyer
belt that provides dewatering.

52. (New) The method of claim 5 1 , wherein the enclosed conveyor belt further adds remedial
water.

53. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the pipes are stainless steel pipes or PVC pipes.

54. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the box has an area of between 150 square feet
and 10,000 square feet and has a depth of between 1 foot and 50 feet.

55. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the box is rectangular.

56. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the remedial water of step e is pushed by a
pump located upstream of the remedial water.

57. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the liner has a water impermeable outer surface.

58. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein step d is carried out prior to step c.

59. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein at least one geotextile sock is placed over a
drain to minimize release of solids.

60. (New) The method of claim 29, further comprising the injection of high pH water to alter
the chemical state of a heavy metal.

61. (New) The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of transferring the treated
material into a transport container.

62. (New) The method of claim 61 , wherein the transport container is a dump truck, ISO
container, dredge hold, barge, or rail road car.

63. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the remedial water comprises at least 250 mg/1
of an ion selected from the group consisting of carbonate ion and bicarbonate ion, and wherein at
least some of the ion is a free radical.

64. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the remedial water comprises ozone, hydrogen
peroxide, active chlorine, active bromine, or a radical formed directly or indirectly from hydroxyl
radical.

65. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein iron and an oxidant are added to the sludge.

66. (New) The method of claim 65, wherein the oxidant is hydrogen peroxide.

67. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injectors are metallic and produce ECA
water by electrical energy.

68. (New) The method of claim 67, wherein at least some injectors are aluminum or copper.

69. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein at least some of the injectors are conventional
water well injection pipes or dewatering well points.

70. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injectors comprise filtermesh screens fitted
to perforated base pipes.

71 . (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injectors comprise plastic pipes having slots
between 1/16 to 1/14 inch widths.

72. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injectors comprise openings with screening
wherein the screening comprises an innermost layer of co-extruded HDPE geonet that provides

interior support for a geotextile and the geonet and geotextile are bonded together in a continuous
tube.

73. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the injectors comprise continuous slot all
welded screens with wrapping wire having a triangular profile that forms inwardly opening slots.

74. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein one set of injectors are used to inject water and
another set are used to remove water.

75. (New) The method of claim 29, wherein the same injectors inject remedial water and
remove water during dewatering.

76. (New) A method of remediating sludge that contains heavy metal, comprising placing the
sludge into an ISO container, rail car or other box having a liner and at least one drain for
dewatering;

(b) closing the container by covering the top of the material with a plastic barrier;

(c) dewatering the material;

(d) vertically inserting injector pipes into the dewatered material;

(e) injecting remedial water into the material via the injector pipes;

(f) closing the container by covering the top of the material with a plastic barrier; and

(g) dewatering the material.

77.

(New) The method of claim 65, wherein the remedial water comprises EC A water.